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Corporate Republic of Chicago
The Corporate Republic of Chicago, or just Chicago, is a midwestern American nation located at the heart of the former United States of America. It is a wealthy, highly-urbanized nation which consists of 28,120 square kilometres (10,856 sq mi), and has a population of some ten million people. The nation gained independence August 28, 2007, admist the collapse of the United States government. The years that followed were marked by agressive militarization by Chicago to maintain independence. The nation is owned by Pravus International, serving as one of its three corporate republics. Chicago was founded on the grounds that the city would be much better off without the issues that plagued the United States at the time. Secret lobbyists and wealthy corporate businessmen also sought to see an independent Chicago that they could control and grow wealthy off of at the same time, and openly supported the seperation from America, and even financed the formation of the Chicago Defense Forces. The nation has been cristened the "Israel of the West" given its position in a region hostile toward it, and its "first-strike" beliefs to defend itself from the much larger military of the United States of Columbia. Today, Chicago is one of the wealthiest nations in North America, boasting a highly diverse economy and dynamic market allowing it to compete globally. However, as it remains isolated diplomatically as the Columbian government still refuses to recognize the nation, and has been blockading the smaller nation in the hopes of strangling it into joining. Canada and Ireland remain Chicago's two greatest allies, and the two of the few nations to openly recognized the corporate republic dispite repeated threats from the successor states of former United States government. History Early History Transition to Independence Declaration of Independence Post-Independence Politics Military Main article: Chicago Defense Forces Chicago maintains a large, technologically sophisticated military force dedicated to the protection of the state from external aggression, or precisely, from the Columbian Armed Forces. Chicago has one of the highest ratio of defense spending to GDP in the world and as a percentage of the budget of all developed countries. The military was established the same day as Chicago's independence, as a result of the unavoidable federal government backlash. The Chicago Police Department and Illinois National Guard stationed in Chicago were merged into the Chicago Defense Forces in 1968, and stationed at important crossroads of the new country. Given the many assaults against them by Columbia, the Chicago Defense Forces are one of the most battle-trained armed forces in the world. Chicagoans are typically drafted by the military upon reaching 18 years of age. Men and women both serve for three years. After their mandatory three-year service, they are put into the reserves, training every two to three years until they reach the age of 51. The military does allow for conscientious objection to active military service, though it does come at the cost of many government benefits, such as free medical care. The military as a result of the conscription laws, has a force of 270,450 active troops with the addition of 672,000 reservists. The government requires that at least 2.5-3% of the adult population be under arms at any given time to ensure that the nation has adaquate protection against invasion. The nation's military relies heavily on high-tech weapon systems designed and produced in Chicago, and its extensive knowledge of urban warfare. Since the nation is not recognized by the Colmubia, many of the nations around are incapable of selling Chicago any weapons as Columbia has blockaded Chicago permanently. Thus, Chicago was forced to develop a local defense industry to supply its military forces with the equipment needed to keep Chicago safe. Chicago operates a number of military-grade satellites, which provide it with up-to-date infomation on American military movements, and provide the nation with the infomation needed to stay one step ahead of its enemy. Economy See also: Economy of Chicago Chicago is home the corporate headquarters of 57 Fortune 1000 companies, some of whom include McDonalds, Boeing, Walgreens, and Motorola, giving the economy of the nation an extremely diverse range of options in the foreign market. The nation is a high technology center, with its capital city of Chicago being a major global financial center, and home to the largest futures exchange in the world. When the Chicago Mercantile Exchange aquired NYMEX Holdings Inc in 2008, it gained control of the New York Mercantile Exchange and Commodity Exchange, which was a subsidary of NYMEX. This gave Chicago leverage on Wall Street, and made the city too important of an international market center to harm by the Columbian Armed Forces, and building up the legitimacy of the government of Chicago. Chicago has long been a producer of significant quantities of telecommunications gear, electronics, steel, crude oil derivatives, automobiles, and industrial capital goods. Such is Chicago's dynamic economic ventures, that The Wall Street Journal stated plainly that "Chicago has survived by repeatedly reinventing itself." The nation itself has been able to weather almost any threat to its economic development, and has become one of the major economic centers of the world simply because of the fact that it is too important to region economic stability in the former United States, meaning what happens in Chicago will by principle, effect the entire country as a whole, thus giving Chicago leverage over some of the world's largest economies too. By adjusting the value of the Chicagoan dollar, Chicago has been able to keep the currencies of other American nations under its power. Transportation Chicago is most important transportation hub in North America period. Anything that needs to move through the country needs to go through Chicago, regardless of its point of origin. The country controls five major airports, one of which is the second-busiest in the world, and the one of the most extensive public transportation networks in the world. Metra and Amtrak must come through the city whether they are going north to south, or east to west. Attempts to bypass the city by the US government have failed repeatedly, as there have been no cost-effective means of passing Chicago. O'Hare and Midway Airport serve as a convient stop for a trip from Los Angeles to New York and vice versa. No other ways around. Additionally, Chicago is strategically placed on the coast of Lake Michigan, allowing ships to pass from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico. This has given Chicago control of the United States' ability to move north, east, south, and west before its collapse. The interstate highways that passed through Chicago are too under the control of the city, with nearly any attempts to take a highway through the nation having to go through Chicago as with all other means of transportation. For the average traveller, visiting Chicago is not a choice, but a task. This has given Chicago a great means to earn extra cash by taxing travel through their borders. Regardless of whether or not the U.S. recognizes Chicago, there are too many guns pointed outside of the city for them to ignore the toll. Energy Demographics Culture Category:Corporate Republic of Chicago